1. Creation of the SGA Green Team Cranberry Station was dedicated to belief that our students needed to be a part of the decision making process of our school. This would give students ownership of their school. The Student Government Association was formed with a subcommittee developed specifically for our school's green school initiatives. Since the formation of this committee the SGA's Green Team has taken the initiative to teach fellow students about environmental issues and have planned and supported many green school projects.
2. Construction of CSE Greenhouse As an eagle scout project, Kurt Wonilowicz, a former CSE student, worked with our school's green team to earn money, apply for permits and choose a design for our newly installed greenhouse. His devotion to his former elementary school demonstrates his dedication and shows our influence on our students which results in a difference in our community.
3. SGA Spring Yard Sale for Green School Initiatives In 2011, Cranberry Station, ran its first Yard Sale to earn money to support its Green School's initiatives. The yard sale earned $550 to help support the cost of a shed to house gardening tools to supply our newly constructed green house. Recycled items were donated by our school community to sell, spaces were rented and snacks were sold by our SGA Green Team. Items not sold were then donated to our Westminster Rescue mission who recently lost their building and all of their items to a fire. Students helped collect and load the rescue mission truck so children could reuse their old toys and clothes.
4. Recycling/Reusing Programs Since our initial green school certification in 2009, our school has worked to teach our students the importance of reducing, recycling, and reusing materials. Our cafeteria staff and SGA Green Team have worked tirelessly to teach our young students how to recycle materials from their lunches. Recycling trash cans have been set up, and each day the staff work with children to make sure items that can be recycled are being recycled. In 2011, we requested and received our first compost bin. Since then, we have learned the true benefits of composting. This inspired us to work with our cafeteria staff to compost daily food waste, and create a compost area on our school grounds where we can use the rich soil to maintain our gardens. In 2012, our entire school participated in a cap collection project. We collected caps of all shapes, sizes and colors for the entire year and as a cumulative project the school created a bottle cap mural. The children learned how materials can be reused to create beautiful artwork.
5. PTA Partnership- Since we earned our certification as a Green school our CSE PTA has worked to be an integral part of our green school initiatives. They have supported us by sponsoring an artist in residence program which each child in our school will become a part of creating a clay mural which depicts the 3 regions of Maryland and the habitats and organisms in each region. The PTA has also begun a paper recycling project in our schoolby purchasing an Abiti recycling dumpster. The PTA will also be working with our SGA to celebrate our accomplishments by supporting our first Green School Day. Through our PTA we have made a connection to the Master Gardeners in Carroll County who are working on beautification projects around our newly installed green house. With their support outfit the greenhouse so it can be used by all students as an outdoor classroom and planting/growing area. They will help us work toward our 3-year goal of establishing an outdoor classroom as well as food gardening areas. The CSE PTA has also worked to provide our school with a paper recycling station located in our parking lot.
Cranberry Station's Top 5 Activities
1. Creation of the SGA Green Team Cranberry Station was dedicated to belief that our students needed to be a part of the decision making process of our school. This would give students ownership of their school. The Student Government Association was formed with a subcommittee developed specifically for our school's green school initiatives. Since the formation of this committee the SGA's Green Team has taken the initiative to teach fellow students about environmental issues and have planned and supported many green school projects.2. Construction of CSE Greenhouse As an eagle scout project, Kurt Wonilowicz, a former CSE student, worked with our school's green team to earn money, apply for permits and choose a design for our newly installed greenhouse. His devotion to his former elementary school demonstrates his dedication and shows our influence on our students which results in a difference in our community.
3. SGA Spring Yard Sale for Green School Initiatives In 2011, Cranberry Station, ran its first Yard Sale to earn money to support its Green School's initiatives. The yard sale earned $550 to help support the cost of a shed to house gardening tools to supply our newly constructed green house. Recycled items were donated by our school community to sell, spaces were rented and snacks were sold by our SGA Green Team. Items not sold were then donated to our Westminster Rescue mission who recently lost their building and all of their items to a fire. Students helped collect and load the rescue mission truck so children could reuse their old toys and clothes.
4. Recycling/Reusing Programs Since our initial green school certification in 2009, our school has worked to teach our students the importance of reducing, recycling, and reusing materials. Our cafeteria staff and SGA Green Team have worked tirelessly to teach our young students how to recycle materials from their lunches. Recycling trash cans have been set up, and each day the staff work with children to make sure items that can be recycled are being recycled. In 2011, we requested and received our first compost bin. Since then, we have learned the true benefits of composting. This inspired us to work with our cafeteria staff to compost daily food waste, and create a compost area on our school grounds where we can use the rich soil to maintain our gardens. In 2012, our entire school participated in a cap collection project. We collected caps of all shapes, sizes and colors for the entire year and as a cumulative project the school created a bottle cap mural. The children learned how materials can be reused to create beautiful artwork.
5. PTA Partnership- Since we earned our certification as a Green school our CSE PTA has worked to be an integral part of our green school initiatives. They have supported us by sponsoring an artist in residence program which each child in our school will become a part of creating a clay mural which depicts the 3 regions of Maryland and the habitats and organisms in each region. The PTA has also begun a paper recycling project in our schoolby purchasing an Abiti recycling dumpster. The PTA will also be working with our SGA to celebrate our accomplishments by supporting our first Green School Day. Through our PTA we have made a connection to the Master Gardeners in Carroll County who are working on beautification projects around our newly installed green house. With their support outfit the greenhouse so it can be used by all students as an outdoor classroom and planting/growing area. They will help us work toward our 3-year goal of establishing an outdoor classroom as well as food gardening areas. The CSE PTA has also worked to provide our school with a paper recycling station located in our parking lot.